Turkish–Islamic synthesis

Turkish–Islamic synthesis (Turkish: Türk-İslam sentezi) or Turkish Islamonationalism, is a type of Muslim religious nationalism which mixes Turkish nationalism.[1] It's often embraced by Idealists (Ülkücüler).

History

Historian Gökhan Çetinsaya explained that there are three opinions on the topic of Turkish nationalism and Islam. First are the nationalists who reject Islam, second are Islamists who reject nationalism, and third are the ones who mix them both together. Turkish Islamonationalism was originally created and encouraged as part of Operation Gladio during the Cold War by American-backed right-wing intellectuals such as Alparslan Türkeş who were concerned about the increasing Soviet-backed leftist influence in the country. They wanted to make a religion-inspired nationalism.[2] According to the synthesis, you have to be a Muslim to be a Turk, and that Islam is the most suitable religion for Turks. In the late 1970s, the Turkish political scene was full of ideological conflicts between far-right ultranationalists (Idealists) and far-left groups, along with little-to-no governmental effort to stop it. Under the Motherland Party rule, Turkish Islamonationalism became the de facto official ideology of Turkey (and until today it is accused of being so under AKP rule, although the AKP strongly denies it). In 1982, religion was strengthened in schools and education as a way to strengthen Turkish Islamonationalism, which intended to weaken mainstream Islamism and secular nationalism.[3][4]

Views on non-Turks

Arabs

There were few cases of anti-Arabism among Turkish Islamonationalists before the Syrian refugee crisis in Turkey. After the refugee crisis, anti-Arabism increased. In Gaziantep, approximately 2 dozen Syrian Arabs had to leave the city after angry Turkish crowds belonging to the Grey Wolves ransacked their homes.[5] Another time a group of about 1,000 Grey Wolves, which organized on social media, blocked various roads in Kahramanmaraş and refused to leave even after police warnings. The protestors also removed Arabic signs from many Syrian-owned stores, and many store owners closed their shops in fear. They also attacked a Syrian in a car and broke his windows, however they ran away after the Turkish police fired a warning gunshot into the air.[6] Many Turkish Islamonationalist organizations volunteer to fight in Syria in favor of Syrian Turkmen to strengthen Turkmen interests and weaken Arab rule.[7] The Alperen Hearths sent 250 fighters in 2015 to "fight against Russia, Iran, and Assad. And to help Turkmen",[8] although they were later accused of having just came into Syria to take photos with fighters, as many of the Alperen Hearths were seen in Istanbul just days after they went to fight.[9]

Kurds

Although the Grey Wolves (often described as secular[10]) are known to be openly anti-Kurdish,[11] most of the Turkish Islamonationalists and groups have stated that they do not hate ethnic Kurds, but only hate the PKK, HDP, YPG, separatist Kurds, and the idea of an independent Kurdistan. Some have also blamed secular-nationalism for being one of the causes of the Kurdish–Turkish conflict, stating that Islam was the only link between Kurds and Turks, and secular-nationalists, on both sides, destroyed it.[12][4] The Alperen Hearths (youth wing of BBP) even view Ahmet Arvasi who is a Kurd as their spiritual leader.[13]

After the CHP said that "a legitimate body is needed for the Kurdish problem, we can solve the issue with HDP", the MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli stated that "There is no Kurdish problem in Turkey. The CHP, IYI, and HDP see my Kurdish brothers as a problem".[14]

In an Iftar speech, Mustafa Destici, leader of the BBP, who previously ripped a picture of a Kurdistan map, said that "The Kurds are our brothers. Unfortunately, some political structures and groups within both of us either can't see the bigger picture, or it doesn't work for them to see it. They are chasing small calculations for the sake of political interest. The basis for Turkey's ability to continue on its way as a whole passes through unity."[15] In a 2021 speech, Destici said that the "HDP does not represent the Kurds, it represents the PKK and YPG".[16] In 2023, Destici accused Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu of "segregating and dividing [Turkey] on the basis of ethnicity and sect", and then said that Kılıçdaroğlu "calls all Kurds PKK members, HDP members, PYD members, YPG members", and Destici later declared that Kurds and Turks have been "brothers for a thousand years".[17]

Greeks

Turkish Islamonationalists are known to hate Greeks due to their conflicts in history as well as Greeks being Christian. The Grey Wolves were once accused of storming an Istanbul pogrom memorial exhibition and throwing eggs and taking down pictures, although the Grey Wolves denied any involvement.[18][19] In 2005 many Turkish Islamonationalists organized a rally and marched to the gate of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and chanted "Patriarch Leave" and "Patriarchate to Greece".[20] MHP leader also once held a map showing Turkey claiming all of the islands controlled by Greece.[21]

Armenians

Similar to Greeks, Turkish Islamonationalists are also known to hate Armenians due to their conflicting history and due to Armenians practicing Christianity. Sevag Balıkçı, an Armenian in the Turkish Army, was murdered by Kıvanç Ağaoglu, who was a supporter of Abdullah Çatlı, the former Grey Wolves leader.[22] On Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day in 2012, various nationalist and Turkish Islamonationalist groups protested against the remembrance of the Armenian genocide in Taksim Square.[23] When Armenian pianist Tigran Hamasyan visited the city of Ani in Kars Province, the local Grey Wolves leader suggested that his anyone who supports him should "go on an Armenian hunt."[24][25]

Views on other ideologies

Despite being a nationalist and Islamist ideology, Turkish-Islamic nationalism has a rivalry with both mainstream nationalists and mainstream Islamists. The Turkish political conflict was mainly between Turkish-Islamic nationalists and leftists, the conflict killed thousands and was one of the deadliest of its time. Examples of attacks by Turkish-Islamic nationalists on people of other ideologies were the assassinations of Islamist activist Metin Yüksel,[26] and of leftist activist Abdi İpekçi.[27]

Criticism

Turkish Islamonationalism is often criticized by Islamists who view nationalism as a sin, by secular Turkish nationalists who view religion as unimportant, and by various minority rights organizations and activists in Turkey.[28]

Islamic scholar Ihsan Senocak once said "Neither Turkish-Islamic nationalism, nor Kurdish-Islamic nationalism. Only Islam."[29]

Turkish Islamonationalists

Turkish Islamonationalist groups

See also

References
  1. Mobilization of political Islam in Turkey (2010), Banu Eligür, s. 65
  2. Mehtap Söyler (2015). The Turkish Deep State State Consolidation, Civil Military Relations And Democracy.
  3. Eligür, Banu, ed. (2010), "The Turkish-Islamic Synthesis and the Islamist Social Movement", The Mobilization of Political Islam in Turkey, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 85–135, doi:10.1017/CBO9780511711923.004, ISBN 978-0-521-76021-8, retrieved 2022-08-11
  4. "MONEY TALKS: TURKISH-ISLAMIC SYNTHESIS ON BANKNOTES OF TURKEY".
  5. Yalçın, Zübeyde (2014-07-22). "Anti-Syrian protests sign of growing tensions in southern Turkey". Daily Sabah. Retrieved 2022-08-11.
  6. "Hundreds march against Syrian refugees – Türkiye News". Hürriyet Daily News. Retrieved 2022-08-11.
  7. Tashjian, Yeghia (2020-10-16). "Erdogan's Enver Pasha Dream: The Revival of the "Army of Islam"". The Armenian Weekly. Retrieved 2022-08-11.
  8. "Alperen Ocakları'ndan 'savaş' ilanı". www.cumhuriyet.com.tr (in Turkish). Retrieved 2022-11-03.
  9. "A Cause For All Turks: Turkey and Syria's Turkmen Rebels". War on the Rocks. 2016-01-21. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
  10. Bale, Jeffrey M. "Definition of Terrorism". Monterey Terrorism & Research Education Program. Middlebury, Vermont: Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. Archived from the original on 7 January 2013.
  11. Bildung, Bundeszentrale für politische. "Einführung: Graue Wölfe und türkischer Ultranationalismus in Deutschland | bpb". bpb.de (in German). Retrieved 2020-11-21.
  12. Karakas, Cemal (2007). "The Turkish-Islamic Synthesis (TIS) and the Re-Politicization of Religion "from above"". Turkey: 16–19.
  13. "Türkçe Bilgi: Nizam-ı Alem". Türkçe Bilgi (in Turkish). Retrieved 2023-08-07.
  14. "MHP objects to debate on Kurdish issue".
  15. "BBP'nin iftarından: Kürtler…".
  16. adilcan. "Mustafa Destici: HDP Kürtlerin değil, PKK ve YPG'nin temsilcisi – Son dakika haberleri – Sözcü". Sözcü Gazetesi (in Turkish). Retrieved 2022-08-12.
  17. Yazar (2023-04-29). "Destici'den Kılıçdaroğlu'n PKK sorusu: Terör örgütü olarak görüyor musun?". Orbit Haber (in Turkish). Retrieved 2023-08-07.
  18. "Eleven Taken Into Custody For Ergenekon Investigation". Bianet. 18 September 2008.
  19. Vick, Karl (30 September 2005). "In Turkey, a Clash of Nationalism and History". The Washington Post.
  20. Alexopoulos, Dimitris (28 October 2005). "By the Grey Wolves Tension at the Patriarchate". The Hellenic Radio (ERA).
  21. English, Duvar (2022-11-07). "Greek PM slams ultranationalist MHP leader for posing with map showing Greek islands as Turkish". Duvar English. Retrieved 2022-08-11.
  22. Türker, Yıldırım (9 May 2011). "Asker Sevag'a ne oldu?". Radikal (in Turkish). Yoğun şekilde milliyetçi temalarla karşılaştık. Mesela Muhsin Yazıcıoğlu'nun videoları ve Abdullah Çatlı'nın resimleri geniş yer tutuyordu.
  23. Moral, Efe (25 April 2012). "April 24th". The Globe Times.; Translated from the original Perrier, Guillaume (25 April 2012). "24 avril". istanbul.blog.lemonde.fr (in French). Archived from the original on 18 May 2019. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  24. "Ülkücü başkandan tehdit: 'Sokaklarda Ermeni avına mı çıkalım' !". Taraf (in Turkish). 24 June 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-08-07.
  25. "Turkish Radical Threatens to 'Hunt for Armenians' In Streets of Kars". Asbarez. 25 June 2015. Archived from the original on 23 July 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  26. "Başbakan'ın Şehit edildi dediği arkadaşı Metin Yüksel" (in Turkish). En son haber.com. 2013-01-15. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2013-02-02.
  27. Ganser, Daniele, NATO's secret armies: operation Gladio and terrorism in Western Europe, (Routledge, 2005), 238.
  28. Affairs, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World. "AKP's Radicalization of Turkish Islam Among Minorities at Home and the Turkish Diaspora". berkleycenter.georgetown.edu. Retrieved 2022-08-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  29. "Ne Türk-İslam, Ne Kürt-İslam Sentezi SADECE İSLAM". İhsan Şenocak (in Turkish). 2014-05-05. Retrieved 2022-11-03.
  30. "Turks head to Syria to defend Turkmen 'brothers'". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
  31. Bale, Jeffrey M. "Definition of Terrorism". Monterey Terrorism & Research Education Program. Middlebury, Vermont: Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. Archived from the original on 7 January 2013.
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